Van Helsinki: First Case
by nototter
Summary: Van Helsinki's first meeting with two old friends.


Van Helsinki closed his eyes, and just listened to the sound and felt the kick of the gun in his hands. He heard the slide lock empty, and ejected the empty magazine, switched hands, and inserted another magazine. He was already feeling better with the gun in his hands, more relaxed, and even de Sadre had said that he had 'some natural talent'. Van emptied the pistol into the target again, and then ejected the magazine. He reached over, picked up another full magazine, and then inserted it into the grip. Van flicked on the safety, and then holstered the pistol under his left arm in the police-issue shoulder holster. He pulled off the safety shooting glasses, placed them gently down on the surface in front of him, and then backed away from the range. Van turned slowly, and began walking back down the still unfamiliar corridors of the police academy, which bustled with officers on their tea breaks or simply standing about and talking.

As Van made to slip through a narrow part of the corridor, he brushed up again another figure going the other way. Van made to move on, but his shoulder holster, with the big pistol inside, caught on the other's jacket and yanked, forcing Van to stop and turn to rectify the issue. He looked up, and saw her. She was medium height, a little shorter than him, with middling-length blonde hair. Her eyes seemed to sparkle a little. She smiled a bit as she saw Van trying to free his holster from her cream jacket, and then looked at him.

"A USP? Bit big for these corridors, huh". Van looked back at her.

"Suits me just fine," he retorted. Sophia laughed, though not in a mocking way.

"You new here?" she asked, more inquisitive than accusatory, though Van felt stung by it. He nodded, a little sharply. Sophia's smile didn't falter. "Me too," she said. Van studied her face but he didn't remember having seen her before. His scrutiny was interrupted by Sophia pushing into him as another police officer tried to get past. Van shrunk back a little from the contact, but the corridor was cramped, and he couldn't get far away. Sophia was pressed up against his USP, uncomfortably close. Van waited until there was a gap in the flow of people, and then he and Sophia made a break for it, moving along the corridor until it widened. Van turned back to Sophia, intending to say his goodbyes and move on. As he looked around, the corridor was filled with sound. An alarm rang out, and orange lights began flashing down. Both Van and Sophia glanced up.

"An alarm," said Sophia, but Van was already moving down the corridor, fighting through the press of people who had suddenly reflooded the corridors. Above the alarms, Van could hear the resident Superintendent shouting orders. Van suddenly felt a presence behind him. He turned, and looked up at the man towering over him, glancing at his lapels.

"Sir," said Van, but he didn't come to any form of attention. The Sergeant looked down at him.

"You're supposed to salute," said the Sergeant, none to gently, but Van didn't have time to respond before Sophia pushed her way through the crowd to his side.

"What's going on?" she asked. The Sergeant looked down at them.

"An odd case. My case," he said, and began pushing through the crowd. Van and Sophia, intrigued and with nothing impritant to do until tomorrow, trailed in his wake. The officers on either side looked up at the Sergeant, and made way accordingly. The Sergeant pushed one unobservant officer head of him aside, and slipped into one of the rooms. Sophia and Van followed, hot on his heels. Van slammed the door behind them. Behind him, Van could hear the Sergeant talking to one of the senior officers already in the room.

"These yours?" asked the officer. The Sergeant nodded.

"They'll do, sir. First taste of duty."

"Bit unorthodox," said another officer, but, as Van turned, he saw the man nod. The Sergeant turned.

"Come along," he said to the two trainees, and pulled open the door. Van and Sophia hurried to follow him, out of the door, and along the now mostly empty corridor. Van lengthened his strides to catch up with the Sergeant.

"Who are you? What is this?" he asked, but the Sergeant barely slowed.

"My name's long, and this case is odd. That's all you need to know for now," he said, and continued at his breakneck pace. "I'll explain in the car." Van and Sophia ran after him. This was to prove an unusual day at the academy for the pair.

And that, of course, was their first case alongside the soon-to-be Inspector Someone-Who-Is-Not-David-Bowie.


End file.
